I think I have a pretty good plan to stabilize my floating sluice, but I'd like some advice about the length of the legs. I am ASSUMING the sluice will be set up in shallow water close to the shoreline, and I am ASSUMING the legs won't need to extend more that a couple of feet beneath the pontoons to have solid contact with the river bottom. That's a lot of assumptions, so any thoughts you have would be appreciated. What about Dave's floating sluice? It seems to be set up in the shallow water. How deep below the water line do those legs extend?

Well... Almost immediately I found a video showing the legs being adjusted and I see the water depth is much deeper than I suspected. That is not a big problem, I hope. Still I'd love to hear what you think.

ORJim: I'm not sure which video you watched (with adjustable legs),or what you are using for legs. I assume though that your legs are adjustable. Although there are probably many ways to make legs adjustable, many including myself use legs made of square metal tubing that pass through a slightly larger socket attached to the frame/floats. Legs are commonly locked in position by tightening a "T-Bolt" on each socket. Personally, I put two T-Bolts on each socket (T-Bolts require welding a nut on the outside of the socket for bolt to pass through).

Using two (or more) T-Bolts in each socket will firmly lock the leg in place in the socket. Of course, the size of the legs & sockets will depend on the weight they will have to support, and be strong enough not to bend. I like using a socket that is slightly larger than the legs so there is a little slop... in case one of the legs does get slightly bent you can still remove it.

IF the legs fit the sockets too snugly, and a leg is bent, you may not be able to move the leg. This may require a tedious job with a hacksaw to cut the leg off... OR, if possible, find a way to make the socket "bolt" to the frame rather than welded on (this way you can unbolt the socket with the stuck leg which will allow you to move the floating______.

HOW LONG SHOULD LEGS BE? Simple answer is long enough to reach bottom.... Ideally, you probably want to discharge into the deepest area you can simply so you don't have to worry about tailings building up. If you work/discharge in shallow water you'll have to shovel tailings out of the way more often.

I assume this isn't a dredge and that you are depending on natural flow through the sluice and you will be feeding with a shovel or from a bucket.... which means you probably don't want to wade out into waist deep water to feed the sluice? Sounds like 4 ft. long legs would cover most areas... although square tubing is fairly cheap... you could have a set for shallow water and a set for deeper water.
Good luck.

Thank you Jim. That is what I was thinking. I have to figure out a way to attach the (adjustable) legs to my frame. It is complicated by the flimsy frame, but I'll get that figured out. I am using the pontoons and frame for a four-inch dredge and a sluice of my own making. I'll get something figured out pretty soon. Only time will tell whether it will be a work of brilliance, or just a grand effort. I hope to find out near the end of May. Thank you for your quick reply.

This is a nice unit, but there is no solid body or strong place to affix a strong mount for the legs anywhere near the outer corners of the pontoons where the legs would provide the greatest stability. I'll figure out something, but I don't have access to a proper shop, so it will be low-tech for sure.

This float system was designed for a dredge sluice, and for that purpose it is sweet, but using it as a floating sluice has two big problems. There is nothing solid or strong to mount the legs upon so that it will be stable in the water. Also I must make the height of my sluice adjustable because I am not certain at what level the sluice will sit in the water or that the angle will be correct. I am sure there is a simple answer. I just haven't found it yet.

So far this frame has been modified to be a dredge, blow mining system, and now as a floating sluice. I have hauled it to California several times and worked my behind off trying to make it pay for itself. One of those times when we thought the rules might allow us to dredge again I set it in the river and in a five minute illegal test dredged up a whole grain... yep, that much! Then I saw someone'd dredge being hauled away on a trailer by the law, so I packed my stuff back up and it hasn't been used since then. Somehow it is going to be useful and productive. I am just too stubborn to give up.

I finally came up with a plan for the legs that is adequate, but it will need a bit of tweaking. without the pump and compressor my pontoons float way high in the water, so the sluice will need a good deal of height adjustment, but that should be pretty simple. It won't be the prettiest thing on the river, but I think it will catch gold.

I posted this picture on another post, but this is how my plan started. It just didn't work, so I am making big changes and will post pictures of the finished sluice when it is done. At least you can have a vague idea of what I am trying to do. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YiiHCq ... sp=sharing